By: Chris Macias
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Longtimers know this property as the former home of Amador Foothill Winery, a benchmark spot for the region’s Zinfandel and Barbera. Following owners Katie Quinn and Ben Zeitman’s retirement in 2014, the property was transformed into Iron Hub.
Tom Jones, one of the new owners, was the founding winemaker at Lava Cap, a popular winery in nearby El Dorado County. Along with his family, he farms about 16 acres of grapes on Iron Hub’s estate and produces about 3,500 cases of wine annually.
The name Iron Hub name is a nod to the hand-forged tools of the Gold Rush days. From the new, airy tasting room, which opened in 2017, you can take in the scope of the Shenandoah Valley; on a clear day you can see the snow-capped Sierra.
The service is friendly and the wines show well. The $5 flight comes with a plate of crackers and small bites of cheese, along with a blue Solo cup if you’re doing the taste-and-spit methods.
The reds at Iron Hub tend to emphasize upfront flavors, such as the cherry-like Grenache with a touch of spice, and a big-bodied Barbera that’s sourced from vines right outside the tasting room. The old vine Zinfandel is a leaner and lighter effort, refreshing with its strawberry fruit.
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<https://link.sfchronicle.com/view/5452b4343b35d010308c2da4a6mhe.j2e/9691b771>.
[San Francisco Chronicle | The Press]<https://link.sfchronicle.com/click/17105234.24710/aHR0cDovL3RoZXByZXNzLnNmY2hyb25pY2xlLmNvbS8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9aGVhZGxpbmVzJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZmNfdGhlcHJlc3M/5452b4343b35d010308c2da4C3c906bd6>
REVIEWS<https://link.sfchronicle.com/click/17105234.24710/aHR0cDovL3RoZXByZXNzLnNmY2hyb25pY2xlLmNvbS9yZXZpZXdzLz91dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1oZWFkbGluZXMmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNmY190aGVwcmVzcw/5452b4343b35d010308c2da4B30a545bc>
TRIPS<https://link.sfchronicle.com/click/17105234.24710/aHR0cDovL3RoZXByZXNzLnNmY2hyb25pY2xlLmNvbS90cmlwcy8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9aGVhZGxpbmVzJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZmNfdGhlcHJlc3M/5452b4343b35d010308c2da4Bd2baff2f>
WINERIES<https://link.sfchronicle.com/click/17105234.24710/aHR0cDovL3RoZXByZXNzLnNmY2hyb25pY2xlLmNvbS93aW5lcmllcy8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9aGVhZGxpbmVzJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZmNfdGhlcHJlc3M/5452b4343b35d010308c2da4B7205a10d>
EVENTS<https://link.sfchronicle.com/click/17105234.24710/aHR0cDovL3RoZXByZXNzLnNmY2hyb25pY2xlLmNvbS9ldmVudHMvP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PWhlYWRsaW5lcyZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2ZjX3RoZXByZXNz/5452b4343b35d010308c2da4B8953a248>
Everything You Need to Know about Amador County Wine
[Introducing Amador County: The best wineries to learn about Zinfandel]<https://link.sfchronicle.com/click/17105234.24710/aHR0cDovL3RoZXByZXNzLnNmY2hyb25pY2xlLmNvbS9yZXZpZXcvYW1hZG9yLWNvdW50eS13aW5lcmllcy8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9aGVhZGxpbmVzJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZmNfdGhlcHJlc3M/5452b4343b35d010308c2da4Ba8411972>
The Amador County Wineries to Visit
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Amador County Guides from SF Chronicle
[5 reasons to go wine tasting in Amador County in 2019]<https://link.sfchronicle.com/click/17105234.24710/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2ZjaHJvbmljbGUuY29tL3RyYXZlbC9hcnRpY2xlLzUtcmVhc29ucy10by1nby13aW5lLXRhc3RpbmctaW4tQW1hZG9yLUNvdW50eS1pbi0xMzU4MTAwMC5waHA_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9aGVhZGxpbmVzJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZmNfdGhlcHJlc3M/5452b4343b35d010308c2da4Be0222ffb>
[Top 9 things to do in Amador County]<https://link.sfchronicle.com/click/17105234.24710/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2ZjaHJvbmljbGUuY29tL3RyYXZlbC9hcnRpY2xlL05pbmUtdGhpbmdzLXRvLWRvLWluLUFtYWRvci1Db3VudHktMTM1NzkwNzUucGhwP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PWhlYWRsaW5lcyZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2ZjX3RoZXByZXNz/5452b4343b35d010308c2da4Bfbc3494d
